Another Water Hammer Question

here4more · Aug 8, 2007

I experience water hammer whenever I flush the toilets furthest from the main and sometimes whenever I shut off the shower furthest from the main. This is a new house, 1 year old.

Some background: Watering lawn was difficult. Sprinklers attached to outside faucet barely rotated. Next door neighbor (home built at same time, same builder & plumber) has a sprinkler system and suggested adjusting the regulator (PVR???) to increase psi. Water pressure gauge shows neighbor’s psi is 80. I set mine to 80 as well. But my neighbor does not experience water hammer and I do.

We did not have water hammer prior to adjusting PSI but did experience poor performance. We are very comfortable with and enjoy the current pressure. The lawn gets completely watered and the shower feels great. Only problem is the water hammer. What to do?!?!?

Geniescience · Aug 8, 2007

hammer noise and vibration has to be treated. Several ways to do that. Have you already searched on this? Do you know where the hammer arrestors are in your house? How many?

David

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

here4more · Aug 9, 2007

Thanks David for replying. This IS a GREAT forum! It was from this forum that I was able to understand technically what the noise is. I have searched the forum and have found several very good posts. However, I do not know where my hammer arrestors are in the house or how many I have, if any.

My questions: My house is on a 4 foot crawl space with all the plumbing under the house. Is this where my hammer arresters should be? Nothing in the house looks like the arrester pictures that I've seen.

Should I just decrease the PSI to eliminate the water hammer and suffer with the lower water pressure? Really it wasnâ€™t so bad â€“ perhaps I can find a happy medium? Or, should I install hammer arrestors on the toilets and shower? But, by doing the later, is it possible that I may still cause damage to my plumbing although I may not hear the water hammer?

Thanks Again.

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 9, 2007

I'm going to have to guess the plumber never installed an expansion tank with the PRV.
I had this EXACT same problem with a customer last month...simple expansion tank fixed it perfectly.

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 9, 2007

Also....IF there's an expansion tank...it's not likely pressurized to match the systems 80 psi.

here4more · Aug 9, 2007

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a total plumbing n00b. I do know that i have what looks like a gallon container turn outside down sitting on top of my gas hot water heater. I believe it says potable expansion tank. Is this what your talking about? How do I pressurize it to match the 80psi?

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 9, 2007

here4more said:
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a total plumbing n00b. I do know that i have what looks like a gallon container turn outside down sitting on top of my gas hot water heater. I believe it says potable expansion tank. Is this what your talking about? How do I pressurize it to match the 80psi?

Thats it...get a tire guage...take off the small plastic cap on the bottom and check the pressure.
IF it's less than 80...get a bike pump and eat yer wheaties.

here4more · Aug 9, 2007

Thanks! I'll try it and report back tomorrow!

Mr_Pike · Aug 9, 2007

GrumpyPlumber said:
Thats it...get a tire guage...take off the small plastic cap on the bottom and check the pressure.
IF it's less than 80...get a bike pump and eat yer wheaties.

You should try borrowing or stealing an aircompressor first, Grumpy may be trying to kill you!

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 9, 2007

Mr_Pike said:
You should try borrowing or stealing an aircompressor first, Grumpy may be trying to kill you!

Dammit...DON'T ruin my fun!

here4more · Aug 9, 2007

LOL))))))

Mr. Pike... I already figured out that I would use my aircompressor!

Thank you all for your assistance!!! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Markts30 · Aug 9, 2007

I believe that before you pump it up, you have to release the pressure in the system...
Turn off the water and open a faucet...
Once that is done, close the faucet again and pump till you reach 75-80 psi...
Then turn the water back on....

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 9, 2007

markts30 said:
I believe that before you pump it up, you have to release the pressure in the system...
Turn off the water and open a faucet...
Once that is done, close the faucet again and pump till you reach 75-80 psi...
Then turn the water back on....

lol...er...yea, that too...it'll read 80 psi if ya don't...oops.

Old Dog · Aug 9, 2007

GrumpyPlumber said:
IF it's less than 80...get a bike pump and eat yer wheaties.

80 with a bike pump?I'd get a couple of cans of spinach to go with them wheaties...lol

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 10, 2007

Old Dog said:
80 with a bike pump?I'd get a couple of cans of spinach to go with them wheaties...lol

Don't laugh...it's right in the instructions on the Amtrol/Diatrol tanks manual...bike tires inflate to an excess of 100 psi in some cases.
Though I prefer to say I'm just a big tough guy....yeah...thats it.

Wet_Boots · Aug 10, 2007

I pressurized an old galzanized well-water tank with a bicycle pump once. It isn't the sort of thing you want to do twice.

Jadnashua · Aug 10, 2007

Yes, but, that's sort of like trying to inflate a massive truck tire verses a bike tire...an expansion tank has a quite small air volume.

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 10, 2007

jadnashua said:
Yes, but, that's sort of like trying to inflate a massive truck tire verses a bike tire...an expansion tank has a quite small air volume.

Exactly....welltrol's are 40+ gallons...expansion tank might be 2

Old Dog · Aug 10, 2007

GrumpyPlumber said:
Don't laugh...it's right in the instructions on the Amtrol/Diatrol tanks manual...bike tires inflate to an excess of 100 psi in some cases.
Though I prefer to say I'm just a big tough guy....yeah...thats it.

Grumpy,
For some reason I was thinking of the small pump that snaps on the bike frame...and a very large pressure tank!
(BIG,TOUGH,AND GRUMPY... REMIND ME NOT TO P**S YOU OFF)

GrumpyPlumber · Aug 10, 2007

Old Dog said:
Grumpy,
For some reason I was thinking of the small pump that snaps on the bike frame...and a very large pressure tank!
(BIG,TOUGH,AND GRUMPY... REMIND ME NOT TO P**S YOU OFF)

Naah...in fact the "Grumpy" name was intended as a humorous antonym...ssshhh, don't tell anyone, I got a reputation to keep.
You should meet my sweety though...5 feet, 2 inches of raw fury.

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